


Inevitable

by DobbyRocksSocks



Series: IronShield [11]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Because Extremis has arrived, But we fix it, Endgame does not exist here, M/M, Mostly just self indulgent fluff tbh, Tony might be dying again? Oops, post IW
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 22:15:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18647161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DobbyRocksSocks/pseuds/DobbyRocksSocks
Summary: No matter what happens, the two of them always end up back together, side by side. Maybe there's a reason for that.





	Inevitable

Tony watched the sun rise from the balcony. It was hard to believe that just days ago, he’d been in space, fighting for the lives of everyone he loved. It was hard to believe that the war with Thanos was done; that they’d won. 

Peter was back at home with May, and Pepper was at the SI office, and Rhodey was probably at home or at the Air Force base. 

The team were in the tower somewhere. He’d told them they could stay while the compound was being fixed up because he just… he was done fighting. He was tired of being bitter and it took much energy to hold onto his anger. 

“Tony?” 

He turned to see Steve standing by the doorway, looking unsure of his welcome. 

“What’s up, Cap?” 

“We’re going to have breakfast soon. I, uh, thought you might want to join us.” 

Part of Tony wanted to scoff. It was a small part, but he almost gave into it. Instead, he sighed deeply and patted his hand down on the surrounding fence. “Sure, Cap.” 

… 

Tony was trying. He really was. He was making nice with the team, spending time with Peter, talking daily with Rhodey and going to all the meetings Pepper asked him to attend. 

He pasted on a smile for all to see, and he pretended that he wasn’t falling apart from the inside out. 

Nobody wanted a broken hero. 

As much as he could, he locked himself away in the workshop. He slept little, ate even less, which gave him plenty of time to work on the Extremis strain that Dr Cho had sent him. 

The fight against Thanos had taken a lot from Tony, and the cumulative damage he’d taken over the years had built to a dangerous level. 

The Cradle could only do so much for him, and unlike many of the team, Tony wasn’t enhanced or super durable. 

At least this time, his self destruction was contained. 

… 

“It might work,” Tony said quietly, showing Helen the changes he’d worked out for Extremis. “I don’t know. It’s… that’s as good as it’s going to get without testing it on a human and since we never intended for this to be made public… I suppose that means we’re testing it on me.” 

“You know I can’t recommend that, right?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.  

“Of course I do,” Tony replied, waving his hand. “If it was anyone else, I wouldn’t recommend it either, but… what other choice do I have?” 

“You could retire?” she offered with a wry smile. “Stop being Iron Man.” 

“I’ve been Iron Man too long to believe that simply retiring the suit would be enough to make the bad guys give up.” 

“That… is unfortunately a good point,” Helen admitted. “Alright, we’ll test this out then. If we pair it with the Cradle, you might just stand a fighting chance, Tony.” 

“I’ve faced worse odds and survived,” Tony agreed. 

“You have. I expect you to tell the team before we do it.” Before Tony could protest, she held her hand up for him to let her finish. “Too many times the team has been broken apart by people withholding important information. Tony, this is important.” 

He stared at her for a long moment. “How dare you use logic against me,” he muttered eventually. “I applaud your tactics though, because now I feel like I’ve  _ got  _ to tell them. Thanks for that.” 

Helen smiled. 

… 

“I… erm.” Tony paused when the whole team looked at him expectantly. He didn’t speak much when they were all together, so curiosity was evident on every single face aimed his way. Tony was usually fine with being the center of attention, but this time, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Helen and I have been working on an experimental procedure that, should, hopefully, fix a lot of the damage I’ve done to myself over the year. It… it’s not 100 percent going to work, but at the moment, it’s the best we’ve got and it’s worth taking the risk.” 

“Back up,” Clint said, frowning. “Why do you need the procedure, is something wrong?” 

“It’s do the procedure or give up the suit,” Tony replied flatly. “But since we all know that villains won’t stop targeting me just because I no longer fly around in a tin can, I don’t have much of a choice.” 

“But what’s actually wrong with you?” Natasha pressed. 

“It’d be faster to tell you what isn’t,” Tony muttered. “It’s not… the details aren’t the important part. Helen said, and I agreed, that you have a right to know about this, and why I won’t be around for a couple of weeks. Rhodey is on call with War Machine if you have need of him for air support, and I’ll be back within a month.” 

“Hopefully,” Natasha said, his head tilting slightly. 

Tony inclined his head to her, and then looked away. “Well, it’s been fun kids, but I’ve got work to do so… I’ll see you all later.” 

He escaped the room, ignoring the calls of his name. 

… 

“Thank you for telling us.” 

Tony startled. He hadn’t expected anyone to be up, which was why he’d felt safe enough to do a coffee run to the communal kitchen. 

“You’re too big to be so sneaky,” he muttered, half heartedly glaring at Steve. 

“Sorry,” Steve said, ducking his head. “I didn’t mean to make you jump.” 

Tony just nodded and leant against the cabinet as he waited for the coffee machine. 

“When are you… going?” 

Tony frowned. “A few days. You know I didn’t tell you to make you worry, Cap?” 

“No, no, I’m glad you told us. I just… of course we’re all going to worry about you. I know we’ve had difficulties in the past Tony but you’re still ours. We  worry about you as much as we do everyone else.” 

Tony didn’t really know what to say to that, so he nodded, and turned to pick up his now full cup. “I, uh, I’m going to be busy for the next few days, so I probably won’t see you again until… after.” 

Steve swallowed hard. “Just… take care please. And, well. Maybe after the… procedure, you could let us know you’re okay? Please?” 

Tony nodded slowly. “Sure, Cap. I can do that.” 

… 

“You look… really good,” Pepper said. 

Tony grinned at her. “It’s different, isn’t it?” 

“That’s one way to describe it. You know that the press is going to have a field day about the plastic surgery kick you’ve been on, right?” 

Snorting, Tony nodded. “Sure. That, or they’ll decide I’m a selfish bastard who found the fountain of youth and decided to keep it to myself.” 

“So… you’re okay now, right?” Pepper asked, and Tony hated himself a little for the worry that was still clouding her eyes.  

“I’m golden,” he replied sincerely. “Promise, Pep.” 

She nodded slowly and he stepped forwards to tug her into his arms. “I missed you,” he murmured into her hair. 

“I missed you too.” 

“So… fill me in on what I missed,” he said, when they parted. “Feel free to omit the boring bits.” 

She rolled her eyes at him and he grinned. 

Business as usual. 

… 

He felt stronger. He looked younger. He healer quicker.  

The Extremis had been accepted well into his system, and the positives were many and varied. His could connect to his suit with a mere thought now. 

The downside was that they couldn’t know how it would affect him in the long run. Helen had multiple folders already prepared for JARVIS to send results of daily scans and anything new, but they were both cautiously happy with the success of it. 

After meeting with Pepper straight from the medical facility, Tony took the elevator up to the penthouse. He knew he’d have to see the team, but he was more interested in a shower and clean clothes before that. 

J had already ordered in some new stuff in his new sizes, but he knew he’d have to schedule a meeting with his tailor in the next few days. 

The new muscles and slightly trimmer waist had been an unexpected bonus, but he wasn’t exactly about to complain about them. 

“Sir, the team are quite anxious to see you now that they know you’ve returned,” JARVIS informed him, breaking his train of thought. 

“Tell them I’ll be down soon, J,” Tony requested, running a hand through his already messy hair. He was oddly nervous about facing them, though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. He supposed it was because they were important to him, and he knew that as much as he pretended otherwise, their opinion’s  _ did  _ matter. 

“Shower,” he muttered to himself. “Shower and then showtime.” 

… 

“That… thing… is certainly something, isn’t it?” Nat said, hours later. 

The team had reacted favourably. They’d teased him a little, but ultimately were extremely happy that he was decidedly less breakable than he’d been before. 

“Sure is,” Tony agreed.  

“I thought Steve’s eyeballs were going to fall out his head,” Nat said after a momentary pause. She’d waited for just the right moment, and sure enough, Tony spat the mouthful of beer he’d just taken all over the floor. 

“You’re a shit, Nat,” he muttered, wiping his mouth. 

“It’s true though. He likey the new Tony.” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “That’s not a thing. Captain America isn’t gay.” 

“Perhaps not, but I’m pretty sure that Steve Rogers is at the very least bisexual.” 

Tony blinked. “Huh. That’s… unexpected.” 

“Or maybe he’s just Tony-sexual, if the way he was looking at you was any indication,” she added. 

Tony shook his head, a smile spreading across his face. “You just like fucking with me, don’t you?” 

“Little bit. Doesn’t mean it’s not true though.” 

“He’s never wanted me before, Nat. If he wants me now that I’m young and hot again, it makes him a bit shallow, no?” 

“You’re blind if you think he’s never wanted you, Tones,” she replied softly, her joking tone gone. 

Tony frowned. “Nat, we spend 90 percent of the time we’re together arguing.” 

“That was true at one point, sure,” she agreed. “And I know that you’ve both been through a lot but… haven’t you noticed, Tony? No matter what happens, the two of you always end up side by side again. That means something, doesn’t it?” 

… 

Sparring was fun now, Tony decided, as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He’d been at it for a little over an hour with Nat and Clint, and it was the most fun he’d had in weeks. They seemed to be enjoying themselves more than they ever had before too. 

He supposed it was because they didn’t have to be so careful with him now, whereas before, they’d always been aware of his humanity and breakability. 

“M’done,” he said, when Nat raised her eyebrow at him to go again. “Pep will chew my balls off if I’m late for the Maria Stark Foundation Gala tonight.” 

She snorted. “True. Alright, we’ll see you later?” 

“If you’re still up when I escape, sure you will,” he grinned. 

Waving at them, he stepped out of the gym, only to run headlong into Steve. 

“Hey Cap,” he greeted, moving to swerve around the super soldier. 

“Why… why do you call me that?” 

Tony blinked and stopped. “I’ve… always called you Cap?” 

“You used to call me Steve too, but… since we came back, you haven’t said my name once.” 

“Erm. I guess I… hadn’t noticed?” Tony offered. He really hadn’t. It wasn’t a conscious choice. “I can stop if it bothers you?” 

“No, It’s… it’s fine,” Steve waved him off with a strained smile and walked into the gym. Tony frowned after him. 

Weird. 

… 

“I wasn’t expecting you here,” Tony admitted, eyeing Steve suspiciously. “You didn’t mention you were coming.” 

“I, uh, wasn’t planning on it. But then Nat happened and I guess… here I am?” 

“Here you are. Well, are you enjoying yourself?” 

“Sure.” 

“Uh huh. You’re good at many things C—Steve, but outright lying is not one of your talents.”

“Maybe you just know me too well?” 

“Maybe I do,” Tony agreed. He took a sip of his drink, soda water that, if asked, he said was vodka and lemonade. Just because he wasn’t actually drinking, didn’t mean anyone else needed to know about that. 

“I was, um, going to go and get some air, if you wanted to come?” Steve offered, his cheeks flushing lightly. 

“I… have a better idea,” Tony said, glancing around the ballroom. “I’ve been here long enough that Pep can’t complain. Let’s make a run for it, and go get burgers. I’m starving.” 

Steve chuckled but nodded. “Sounds great, Tony.” 

They made their way outside, and Tony accepted his keys from the valet, tipping handsomely as he always did. 

“Do… do you want me to drive?” Steve offered delicately. 

Tony grinned. “I’m sober as a judge, C—Steve. Promise. I was drinking soda water.” 

They climbed into the car, and Tony accelerated out onto the road.  

“That’s… is that because of the Extremis?” Steve asked, his brow furrowed. 

Tony shook his head. “No. It’s… I just… realised that I didn’t have to be my father to be worth something. I haven’t really had a drink except the odd beer for a couple of years now.” 

“Huh. That’s… that’s awesome, Tony.”

They pulled into an all night diner, and Tony loosened his tie. “Burgers?”

“Burgers,” Steve agreed. 

… 

“Nat told me that she’d spoken to you about, um, me?” Steve offered later, when they’d returned to the tower only to find everyone had already retired for the night. 

“Uh. Yeah. I… I realised it didn’t mean anything though, you don’t have to—” 

“She was right,” Steve interrupted quietly. “I… when I first woke up from the ice, it was so much and none of it seemed good and I think… I think I just attached that to you which was why I was so…” 

“Asshole-y?” 

Steve smiled. “Sure. So asshole-y. But then, after that first fight with Loki, and we all moved in here together and I just… I couldn’t keep attaching the bad to you because you weren’t… You were everything  _ good  _ about this new world. I just… you’re my end, but you’re also my beginning, and you just… you’re everything in between too.” 

“Steve—” 

“We've fought, and we’ve laughed and we’ve cried together, Tony. Even if you never want anything more than what we have, you need to know that I love you. That I’ve loved you for years, and that… I’ll never stop loving you.” 

Tony stared at him for a long moment. “I used to think that maybe there was… something. Until Barnes arrived, because… well, because I guess I just assumed he was your endgame. Except, then Thanos happened, and you came back here and left him in Wakanda and I couldn’t work that out at all because after everything that happened, surely you’d want to be wherever he was? And it confused me, but I just… I didn’t have the energy to hope that maybe, you’d come back here because I was here. “

“Buck’s happy in Wakanda,” Steve replied with a small smile. “He’s building a life there, with them, and… I’m happy for him. I only ever wanted him to be happy and he is there. And hey, I speak to him all the time, and T’Challa said I’m welcome to visit, and he could come here or whatever. Buck has always been my best friend, but Tony… he’s only ever been my best friend.” 

“Nat alluded to that a few weeks ago,” Tony admitted. 

“It’s fine if this isn’t something—” 

“No, it is,” Tony choked out. “I just… you’re like, the epitome of good, you know? It’s… a lot of pressure to be good for you and—” 

“There’s no pressure at all,” Steve said firmly. “Tony, I’ve seen you manic on too much coffee and not enough sleep. I’ve seen you cornered and fighting. I’ve seen you being sweet and kind and generous, and I’ve seen you being an arrogant shit. I love every part of you. I just want you to be  _ you. _ ”

“I, uh, can I kiss you?” 

“You don’t even have to ask.” 

Tony leant forwards slowly, half convinced that Steve would move away and laugh in his face at believing this could be real. Of course he didn’t. Instead, Steve moved closer, meeting Tony’s lips half way and cupping Tony’s face gently. 

Tony blinked his eyes open when they parted—when had he closed them?—and smiled when he met Steve’s eyes. 

“That…” 

“Was even better than I imagined it would be,” Steve finished for him, ducking in to steal another kiss.  

Tony nodded. “Yeah. Yeah it was.”   

…

“So, the Extremis… it made you younger,” Steve said, a few days later when the two of them were curled up together on the sofa. 

Tony nodded. “Yeah. It… I guess it sent me back to peak fitness, maybe? Not quite the same as the Super Soldier serum, but similar.” 

“Right. Uh. Do you know what that means for your, erm, life expectancy?” 

Tony looked up at Steve to see him looking nervous and unsure. He ran a gentle finger over Steve’s cheek. 

“Best we can guess from the test results Helen has been getting is that I am still going to age. Just… slightly slower than the average human. So, I’m not immortal by any stretch but… I should live to a good age, bad guys notwithstanding.” 

“So… like me then?” 

“Yeah, Steve. Like you.” 

Steve grinned and held Tony a little bit tighter. “That’s good. I, uh, I like that. That I don’t have to worry about losing you to illness or anything.” 

Tony smirked. “You can say old age, Steve. I know I wasn’t a spring chicken before.” 

Steve blushed and ducked his head. 

“What is it?” Tony asked, raising his eyebrow. 

“I uh, I just… d’ya think you’ll still go grey… you know when you age? Because I uh, I liked the grey. You looked… good.” 

Tony snorted. “Sure Steve. I’m sure I’ll go grey eventually. How can I not, with you lot in my life?” 

Steve tickled Tony into an apology and that was how the other’s found them. 

Nat grinned and held her hand out to Clint, who rolled his eyes and slapped a bundle of notes into her hand.  

“For that, I’m choosing the movie,” he grumbled. 

“Of course you had a bet going about this,” Tony said, looking at them upside down from where he was hanging off the sofa. 

Clint wrinkled his nose. “You coulda waited a bit longer. I didn’t think you’d get your shit together for at least another six months.” 

“So… you were betting that we’d get together, just that it’d take longer?” 

“Duh.” 

Tony looked at Steve who smiled at him sweetly Tony shrugged and shifted to snuggle back into his side.  “But you’re so not choosing the movie, Barton.” 


End file.
